Sean O’Malley thinks “spectacular” performance against Petr Yan at UFC 280 would put him closer to Conor McGregor status

Sean O’Malley believes that if he can pull off something “spectacular” in his fight with Petr Yan, his star level will push him closer to the status of Conor McGregor.

O’Malley and Yan are set to clash inside Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 22. The “Sugar” show enters the fight as the number 12-ranked UFC bantamweight, while Yan holds the number one spot behind current 135-pound titleholder Aljamain Sterling.

Sean O’Malley On Conor McGregor’s Path?

Sean O’Malley following win at UFC 269

During an appearance on ESPN’s “DC & RC Show,” O’Malley talked about hoping to boost his stock significantly to the point where even “Mystic Mac” will take notice (h/t MMAFighting.com).

“Usually I’d say people are hoping I don’t win, but to be honest, I would say the majority of people that think I won’t win actually want me to win,” O’Malley said on ESPN’s DC & RC show. “People want a superstar. There’s really no one in the UFC right now that is that Conor level. Me, I go out there and beat Petr in spectacular fashion, I’m climbing. I’m not going to be there yet and I know that, but I’m climbing to become that guy. I want to be the Conor, I don’t want it to be competitive to where it’s like, ‘You’re up there with this.’ I want to be that guy.

“And I think the UFC fans want that. They want somebody that they can get super, super excited about, so most people think I’m going to lose but I think the majority of people want me to go out there and win, which is rare, I don’t usually think that, but I do think in this case that’s what it is.”

O’Malley recently referred to McGregor as the MMA GOAT. The two have exchanged pleasantries in the past with McGregor praising O’Malley for his “slick” standup game.

A UFC Lightweight Championship fight will headline UFC 280. It’ll be Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev sharing the Octagon for the vacant gold. A UFC Bantamweight Championship match is also set between Sterling and TJ Dillashaw.